This Is Italy
A new annual travel trend survey from Columbus Travel reveals the holiday trends among Dutch people for 2025.
Despite rising travel costs, the Dutch continue to plan their holidays en masse. What is striking is that the more expensive flights and accommodations seem to have only a limited impact on travel behavior.
European destinations remain by far the favorite, while outside Europe the United States and Japan are particularly popular. According to the survey, almost 40% of Dutch people definitely plan to book one more trip this year, and more than a third even two.
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Half of the Dutch have not yet booked a holiday
Early January it turns out that more than half of the Dutch have yet to book their first holiday for 2025. Among those who have already booked, European destinations top the list. Spain, as in previous years, is in first place: around 14% of respondents have already planned a trip to this country. Indonesia is the only non-European country to make the top ten.
Europe and Asia remain the most popular continents
Europe remains the big favorite among Dutch travelers. A whopping 76% of respondents indicate that they will consider a trip within Europe in 2025, an increase of four percent compared to last year. Asia follows with 30%, while North and Central America are in third place with 23%. South America and Africa lag behind in popularity, with Africa in particular seeming to attract fewer travelers than in previous years.
Popular destinations: Italy, France and Spain
Within Europe, Mediterranean countries such as Italy, France and Spain are the absolute top performers for 2025. Scandinavian countries, led by Norway, also remain popular. The Alpine countries of Austria and Switzerland also remain popular, each with around 10% of the votes.
Outside Europe, the United States and Japan top the list. Canada, Costa Rica and Indonesia follow at some distance, each with around 7% of respondents considering these destinations.
Multiple holidays
The Dutch have ambitious travel plans for 2025. For example, 39% definitely want to book one more trip, while 34% indicate that they will make at least two trips this year. A smaller group of 13% even has plans for 3 or more trips. However, there is also a group of doubters: about 10% do not yet know whether they will go on holiday at all.
Climate and nature important in travel choices
The proximity to nature and the climate play a decisive role in choosing a holiday destination. For 50% of respondents, these factors are the most important. Other considerations, such as the cost of the trip, the cultural offer and the quality of accommodation, follow at a distance. Factors such as the language, the quality of the road network and government travel advice play hardly any role and are mentioned by less than 2% of respondents.
Travel costs not always an obstacle
Although the cost of holidays continues to rise, 44% of Dutch people indicate that this has no effect on their travel plans. For 37%, the rising costs do play a role, while 19% do not yet have clarity about this. Those who indicate that the costs are an obstacle, more often choose a shorter or less frequent holiday. Car holidays are also gaining ground at the expense of air travel.
Average travel budget between €1.000 and €4.000 per person
The majority of Dutch travellers (51%) have a travel budget between €1.000 and €4.000 per person. In addition, 31% have a larger budget of more than €4.000 available for holidays in 2025. It is striking that one in ten Dutch people have not yet determined their budget.
Source: Columbus Magazine
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